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THEM Releases Inaugural Issue

A much-anticipated literary journal has launch -- the percussion of trans* voices built beautifully into a solid, 110 page publication. The journal, called THEM, will serve as the first-of-its-kind based in the U.S. With no such prior outlet, says THEM founding-editor, Jos Charles, the writing of much of the transgender community has been unduly silenced.

"THEM began because I wanted to see something like it, read something like it, and it wasn’t there," says Charles. "Given the systemic, oftentimes explicit, exclusion of trans* folk from 'public' spaces, having a space where trans* authors can communicate, hear themselves, hear each other, have the possibility of being heard, a trans* literary platform is a matter of survival."

In reference to THEM, Charles opts for the use of "trans*" (with an asterisk), an umbrella term meant to also include transgender identities outside of the binary gender identities associated with “trans”. As such, the first issue has been published as of Friday, December 13, 2013 at THEMlit.com. Issue I will feature the writing of trans* authors from all over the U.S., from a variety of backgrounds and gender identities. The issue's 19 authors were selected based on an international call for submissions.

"THEM is a space for trans* authors to do what they want," says Charles. "As an editor, I wanted to see writing that disregarded, worked outside, or represented trans* narratives beyond the typical, problematic narratives we often see in media."